Notre Dame wins berth in Maui title game, will face Wichita State
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Wichita State center Shaquille Morris, right, ran into Marquette center Matt Heldt during the first half of a game, today, in Lahaina.
LAHAINA >> There’s a coveted top-25 matchup in the championship game of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational after No. 13 Notre Dame overpowered LSU 92-53 in today’s second semifinal at Lahaina Civic Center.
The Fighting Irish (5-0) meet No. 6 Wichita State (4-0) at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in an ESPN2-televised contest. It will be the first title for the winner in the 34 years of the event.
Notre Dame outclassed LSU (3-1) in all facets, as guards T.J. Gibbs (26 points) and Matt Farrell (17 points, seven assists) combined for 10 3-pointers. Forward Bonzie Colson had a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double along with five steals.
Notre Dame of the ACC is making its second title-game appearance here. The Irish lost 102-87 to North Carolina in 2008. It is the first championship game on Maui for WSU, which finished fifth in its only previous showing in 2010.
Earlier, Wichita State turned to a balanced effort to overcome Marquette’s two-man show.
Guard Landry Shamet led four WSU players in double-figure scoring with 19 points, but it was forward Rashard Kelly who made the signature play during the 80-66 victory in the Lahaina Civic Center today.
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
Kelly’s first-half chasedown block, and follow-up stuff, on Marquette’s Sacar Anim was the biggest moment of the tournament to this point.
“That’s my favorite play of the year thus far,” WSU coach Gregg Marshall said. “That was a tremendous play, and it epitomizes Rashard Kelly and hopefully our program.”
Marquette (2-2) of the Big East was overly reliant on guards Andrew Rowsey and Markus Howard. The two combined for 51 points, but no other Golden Eagle scored more than five.
Also today, host Chaminade fell in lopsided fashion to Michigan, 102-64, in the consolation semifinals. The Wolverines (4-1) were too much from the outset for the cold-shooting Silverswords (2-2), who shot 38.1 percent to Michigan’s 64.9.
Charles Matthews (22 points, 10 rebounds, 8-for-8 shooting) led the way in dismantling the D-II school, which fell to 7-92 all-time in the event.
Chaminade faces California (2-3) at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday for seventh place. The Golden Bears fell 83-69 to VCU in the other consolation semi.
